After returning to the ship, the group separated and wandered off to the different rooms, completing random tasks that they felt like doing. Some of the group, mainly Adrian and Ren, were lingering around the communications room as they tried to connect to the people on Earth. Sending out messages upon messages, telling them about the new planet they discovered and how well accustomed it already is for life.
While everyone was doing their own thing, Marcus wandered through corridors of the ship in search of a particular person. Chronos. He still had questions about what he vaguely said on the planet, and partially wanted to apologise for what he said to him. The only issue Marcus faced was the annoying habit Chronis displayed of easily and swiftly disappearing from everyone's sight and only appearing when he deemed convenient.
As he ventured through the ship, not once spotting the curly blonde boy, he decided to ask Kennie, who was checking the machinery and engines in the back room. Strolling in quietly, he glanced around until he caught eye of the brunette man.
"Kennie!" He called out, waving his hand in the air as he approached him.
"This sure is a surprise," Kennie chuckled as he placed his tools down, "what's up?"
"Do you know where Chronos is?" He asked, glancing around to see whether or not he was in the room, "I've been looking for him."
Leaning back against one of the railings, Kennie asked, "is he not with Luciel?"
Marcus shook his head.
"Maybe the vents then." He said, pushing himself off the railing as he crouched down beside the vent opening and yelled, "Chronos, where you at?"
Marcus looked sceptical about the idea Kennie presented as he watched the younger man keep an ear out for any sort of response from the narrow dark tunnels connecting each room. Minutes passed by with silence only accompanying them, doubt rose within Marcus as he waited for the reply.
"Are you su-"
His words were quickly cut off when a clanking sound echoed through the vents. It wasn't heavy at all, in fact, if he wasn't paying attention for some sort of reply, he wouldn't have noticed it. Within the darkness of the tunnel, a dim colour of yellow emerged with the familiar smile from Chronos as he quickly reached the entrance where Marcus and Kennie stood and hopped out.
"You called?" He said, glancing between the two guys, one having a completely astonished expression while the other pointed to Marcus.
"He wanted you," Kennie said, pointing to Marcus, "dunno why though."
"Uhh... Yeah, I wanted to talk to you," he eventually said, "about what you said earlier."
A puzzled expression landed on Chronos' face as he tilted his head and asked, "what did I say?"
"The weird stuff about breaking rules." He replied, to which Chronos instantly recalled and dragged him out of the engine room and up towards the records room on the first floor. They passed by many people, all who were curious about what was happening but didn't bother getting involved.
Upon reaching the records room, Chronos dragged Marcus into it, shutting the door behind him as he began circling the room. The large room situated in the back corner of the ship held all the savoured things that the group collectively gained from the planets they visited. Most of what they collected did get destroyed when the ships were stripped and destroyed, but they were able to find random pieces and scraps of old artefacts they found within the wreckage.
Marcus sat down on one of the benched that, with three others, created a square shape in the centre of the room. He remained quiet, wondering whether Chronos was going to talk first about it or if he would have to initiate the conversation. While he waited, Chronos wandered around the room, glancing across the counters as he recalled some of the things they collected. On the odd occasion, he would pick it up and stare into it, especially if it resembled Earth in any way.
Realising that Chronos wasn't going to say anything, Marcus began the conversation, "why'd you drag me down here? Couldn't we speak with Kennie as well?"
Chronos stopped moving. He placed the small crystal rock he held onto the counter and turned to face Marcus. Leaning back against the silver counter, he said, "well, I didn't really want him to know about it."
"Why's that?" Marcus asked, a perplexed expression crossing his face.
"Because he'll find out eventually anyway." Chronos smiled, as he resumed checking out the random ornaments they collected.
Through his words, Marcus gained a sudden unsettling feeling in his stomach. A feeling he couldn't describe or even understand why he got it. It was like a pit opened up, telling him that Chronos was hiding something big and serious. And that it most likely had something to do with Earth.
Before he could go and ask him questions about Earth, Chronos interrupted, "why're you so suspicious of me?"
Marcus looked confused. The sudden question caught him off guard as he tried but failed to provide a response.
"Like... No one else thinks much of me," Chronos continued as he, once again, lifted a colourful stone above his eye level, "either they just find me weird or they became pretty good friends with me. But you... You seem to be so wary of me." Chronos placed the rock down. Turning around, he faced Marcus with his hands behind his back as a small smile landed on his face, "did I do something that scared you?"
Marcus shifted in his position, his body began feeling even more uncomfortable as Chronos stared him down for an answer. His words were right, Marcus was cautious of him but he didn't feel scared of the younger blonde boy. Not at all.
"I'm not scared of you." He replied, receiving a little that's good from Chronos as he sat down a few feet away from him, "but I don't trust you. At all."
Chronos knew Marcus didn't trust him; it was incredibly obvious. He never trusted the younger lad since day one and always wanted him off the ship.
"I don't know what exactly made me not trust you now..." Marcus continued, "aside from everything you've done from sending us further into space through light speed and that you destroyed our ships-"
"I said the Rewn pirates did that." Chronos interrupted.
"And I don't believe you," Marcus argued back before turning to what he was saying, "I feel like the thing that made me doubt you the most is well... You as a person."
The sudden statement confused Chronos. He didn't expect Marcus to doubt him through him as a person over everything he did before.
"What- why?" Chronos exclaimed, his confusion very prominent on his face, "I thought I'd been a good person so far!"
"If you asked Luciel, he'd probably agree with you," Marcus said as he slightly leant back, supporting himself with his hands, "but for me... You really haven't. Well, I suppose it's more through your words and actions. Like," he sat up and instantly faced Chronos with a serious gaze, "why're you so against us returning to Earth?"
Chronos hesitated, he didn't expect Marcus to blatantly ask him that. After a second, he was able to ask, "what makes you think that?"
He turned his body slightly to face Chronos, "with the whole light speed fiasco and the missing part as well as destroying our old ships, who wouldn't think you're trying to prevent us from reaching Earth?"
Forming a thin line with his lips, Chronos knew he couldn't lie his way through this. Marcus had realised too much and connected too many dots, ones that he didn't think were so obvious. He finally realised that he had to explain the trust in some form.
"I suppose you're right..." Chronos said, lifting his knees to his chest as he rested his chin on them, "if you realise that much, then there'd nothing I can really do about it."
"So you're actually going to explain yourself now?" Marcus asked.
Without connecting his gaze with Marcus', he replied, "I suppose..."